Luminous symbol for advertising purposes



Patented June 20, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LUMINOUS SYMBOL FORADVERTISING PURPOSES Application December 15, 1938, Serial No. 245,864

In Germany February 22, 1938 3 Claims.

My invention pertains generally to luminous symbols for advertisingpurposes and also for signal purposes, and more particularly to symbolswherein electric luminous tubes are arranged to stand free and form thesymbol in double lines.

An object of my invention is to provide means for rigidly and dependablysupporting the luminous tube or tubes and giving to the symbol a noveland pleasing day and night effect. For this purpose, an intermediatecore or strip membei' bent in the same shape as the symbol or letter andarranged on edge is disposed between the parallel luminous tube partsand is fastened to a base housing and serves as a support for theluminous tube. The core or strip member which may be made of flat iron,is preferably made Wider than the luminous tube diameter in order toreduce the possibility of .damaging the luminous symbol, and is soarranged that it projects uniformly on both sides of the luminous tube.Since the luminous tube can easily be fastened securely to the coremember, it is not necessary to further specially secure the sensitiveterminals or electrode vessels in the base housing. By fastening theluminous tube to the special core member, the electrode vessels arerelieved of the weight of the luminousl tube.

The drawing shows a letter-shaped luminous symbol comprising myinvention wherein Fig. 1 is a front view of the luminous letter; Fig. 2is a side view thereof; Fig. 3 is a section on the line A-B of Fig. l;and Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view showing the left hand end of thebase housing.

The electric luminous tube I, which forms the outline of the luminousletter, in the present case an R, with its electrodes 2, 3 and with itsreturn bend 4 which forms the end of thel letter, extends into thebase-housing 5. For this purpose, the latter, in its cover plate 6, hastwo rectangular openings 'l' which, at the places of entrance of theluminous tube also have small semi-circular recesses S. These openings1, after the insertion of the electrodes and of the return-end 4 of thej luminous tube into the housing, are covered by rectangular plates 9which, by means of screws Ill, are fastened to the cover plate 6 of thehousing, and by means of screws II to the front plate I2 of the housing.These cover plates 9 likewise have semi-circular recesses 8 which,together with the recesses 8 of the housing cover plate 6, form acircular opening surrounding the portions of the luminous tubes emergingfrom the housing. The front plate I2 of the housing 5 is preferablyremovably set in, as shown in Fig. 2. In the back lill (Cl. llll-430)wall I3 of the housing 5 there is an opening I5 which is strengthened bya ring I4 and is provided for the passage of the conductor cables whichare to be attached to the luminous tube electrodes or terminals.

The luminous tube I, which forms the outline of the letter surrounds acore-letter or strip member I6 which lies inthe same plane and which mayconsist of a flat iron strip placed on edge so that it is readableedgewise. This flat iron strip, as shown in Fig. 2, is wider than thediameter of the luminous tube, by virtue of which it projects uniformlybeyond the tube on both sides. The base-ends of the core-letter I6 havesecured thereto, preferably by welding, angle sheets I'I, I8 which arefastened to the cover plate 6 of the housing 5 by means of screws I9.For the purpose of stiffening the core-letter, it is provided at itsmidpart with a connecting strip welded thereto.

The core-letter I6, which serves as a support for luminous tube I, isequipped with a number of fastening members for the latter. Thesefastening members may each consist of an upright bolt 23 which isfastened to the core-letter by means of a nut 2l and locknut 22, andwhose end facing the luminous tube carries a semi-circular bow 24 withsomewhat bent-over ends, into which wire loops 25 are laid, which wireloops surround the luminous tube. The number of fastening bolts 23depends on the size of the luminous letter, which in this manner can bebraced and held, to a certain extent over its entire length.

The core-letter I5 may be colored so as` to present a contrastingappearance to the colored luminous tube, so that the luminous letteralso offers a good daylight effect. The said core-letter may also beprovided with mirror or reflecting coatings. At night a sharp separationof the light-lines created by the tubes is produced by the core bodylocated between the parallel luminous tube parts, which factconsiderably irnproves the appearance of the luminous symbol.

The letter symbol, instead of consisting of a single luminous tube, mayalso consist of two parallel extending luminous tubes, in which casefour electrodes must then be enclosed in the base housing. In place ofan electric discharge luminous tube, an incandescent luminous` tube ortubes with a metallic filament extending longitudinally of the tube, canalso be provided.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

l. A luminous symbol comprising a strip-like core member bent to theshape of the desired symbol so as to be readable edgewise, and electricluminous tube means extending parallel to and on both sides of said coremember to form the luminous symbol in double lines, said luminous tubemeans being supported directly from said core member.

2. A luminous symbol comprising a base housing, an upright strip-likecore member bent to the shape of the desired symbol so as to be readableedgewise, said core member being mounted on said housing, and electricluminous tube means extending parallel to and on both sides of said coremember to form the luminous symbol in double lines, the terminals ofsaid tube member being Wider than the diameter of said 10 tube means andprojecting beyond both sides thereof, said luminous tube means beingsupported directly from said core member.

KURT WIEGAND.

